The Aftermath (The Music Freaks)

Chapter 6: Problem Solving

3rd POV:

As the Jomies practiced one more time, everyone but Jake celebrated. They sounded great, and it's Wednesday night. They still have two days and a night until they perform, and they already think that they are doing amazing. But Jake felt like something was missing. He looked at the lyrics of the love song he wrote, and he looked at Drew, who was talking to Liam and Henry. Drew. He was who the song was for. Drew thought it was for Daisy, but it sure wasn't. Jake just wanted Drew to be in his arms, saying he loves Jake just as much as Jake loves him. Jake looked back at the song and got an idea.

"Drew! I have a question!" He yelled from across the room.

"What's up?" He responded as he walked over.

"Will you.. will you sing with me?"

Drew sat in surprise for a minute until he broke out of the trance and started talking once more.

"Jake, you know that I haven't even sang since we were like 13. I don't think I'd be able to!"

But Jake still retaliated. When they were 13, they had dreamed to be a group; a duo! They had dreamed of being the two greatest singers of all time. It was their one big goal that they ever so wanted to achieve, but Drew gave up and threw it away. Like an artist when they make splatter paint in the wrong spot, or a baker when they add too much flour. He just crumpled his dreams and threw them away as if they were nothing. But Jake knew his potential. He knew that Drew could sing, he was amazing at singing! Maybe even better than him. He just needs to believe in himself and put his mind to it.

"But Drew.. can you at least try? For me?" Jake did puppy eyes as he said this, which made Drew all flustered as he looked away. Drew ended up agreeing to at least trying. When Henry and Liam left to go get food, Jake set up the microphone for Drew. When Drew got up on the stage, he looked at Jake for assurance. He started to sing the song, and he sung in beautiful melody. He imagined himself on the stage with Jake, Henry, and Liam, as he and Jake sung their hearts out and smiled at the audience. When reality faded back, he saw that Jake was astonished with his singing. Jake had the most sincere look of admiration in his eyes that Drew has ever seen.

"Come on, Drew! That was f**king awesome! You have to sing with me!"

"But Jake I still have to do the violin-"

"F**k the violin! We'll just write it out, wasn't too important anyway! Please, Drew, it would make me so happy!"

Drew than thought for a minute and nodded his head in agreement as he smiled at Jake, which made Jake jump up and down with excitement.

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Hailey, Milly, and Sean sat one the floor of the music room in a circle.

"We could.. write a new song? One with just a guitar? And you can sing, Hailey!" Milly tried to make Hailey feel better, she's been sulking all day, but nothing is working.

"We'll totally get beat out if we just have an electric guitar, Milly. This is a BAND competition, we aren't a band without them."

Sean and Milly sat in silence, looking down. They didn't know what to say to Hailey for her to feel better.

"Maybe we can get some new members?" Sean asked.

"The competition is tomorrow, guys. Do you not realize what you're suggesting? We can't just find someone and have them memorize a song in our 30 minute rehearsal time."

The silence commenced once again, neither Sean nor Milly knew what to say. Hailey felt like she was the only one who knew the true reality of the situation. That was until Milly stood up.

"Guys, let's stop sulking already! We can just do the competition without those guys! My guitar has different settings, I can do it!"

"Milly, that's a lot to learn in very little time! Are you su-" Sean was saying, but got cut off by Milly.

"Positive! We can win this!"

~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Luke had to stay home because he was sick, but Zander still showed and he was enraged. Specifically with Henry, if it weren't for him being like that than he'd still be in the club. He saw Henry talking to Liam down the hallway and knew he'd have to separate them. He had stolen Jakes phone earlier that day when he was in the bathroom, so he simply texted Liam that Jake needed him to come to the rooftop of the school and to not being Henry because it was a surprise for him. Once he saw Liam's phone light up, Liam look the message over, inform Henry and apologize for the sudden leaving mid conversation, Liam ran to the stairs of the school. Once he was out of sight, Henry pulled out his phone. Zander simply walked over and grabbed Henry by the neck.

"What the hell was that stunt."

Henry coughed, so Zander slightly loosened his grip. "What stunt..?"

"YESTERDAY'S STUNT. YOU GOT ME KICKED OUT OF THE MUSIC CLUB." Zander shouted this and Henry winced, tears started to form in his eyes.

"I didn't mean to I swe-" Henry tried to explain himself but got cut off be Zander slammed his head into the locker, harder than the last time. Henry passed out on the spot.

Zander grabbed Henry and picked him up, bringing him to an empty classroom. He threw him into a wall and wrote a note saying that if he ever and him ever crossed paths once more, that things would get messy. Zander than ran off.

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About an hour later, Liam was searching for Henry during his free period. He hasn't seen Henry since the beginning of the day, so he of course was worried. He was searching the halls until he saw a door, a door that was only creaked just a bit open, a door to a classroom that hasn't been used for over twenty years. He peeked through to see a familiar face unconscious on the ground with a peice of paper in his hand. He quickly went into panic and ran over to Henry, but he calmed down after he saw that he was breathing and realized he should take a more thought out approach to the situation. He opened the note that once lied between Henry's fingers and read it. Liam's face went from a confused, to a furious, to an enraged, to a glad and confident expression over the course of the short read. He realized that Zander had signed the note, and he could easily turn this in to report Zander for bullying and harassment. He slid the note into his pocket and picked up Henry as carefully as possible. He then walked Henry out and took him to the nurses office, not a care in the world of people saw him smiling and laughing while holding his unconscious boyfriend, no matter how weird or menacing it looked.